Group seeks training of more youths in entrepreneurship, leadership skills

Alert Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has charged governments at all levels to take the development of entrepreneurial and leadership skills among Nigerian youths more seriously.

The group said such move would lead to constructive engagements among the youths in the country.

Its director, Iboro Otu, disclosed this while speaking in Uyo, on the group’s plans in Akwa Ibom State and the country at large.

He argued that the recurrent youth restiveness the country would be a thing of the past if they were constantly trained and retrained on leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

According to him, the organisation would be dedicated to knowledge-driven platform aimed at giving young Nigerians the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue on challenges of leadership and entrepreneurship.

“With such mindset, young people at the grassroots can develop their inherent leadership and entrepreneurial capacities and problem solving skills for the wellbeing of their communities,” he said.

Otu explained that entrepreneurship and strong visionary leadership skills have been acknowledged globally as the engine of socio-economic growth and transformation.

He, however, lamented that for several decades Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has struggled with good leadership.

He noted that Nigeria could surmount its numerous socio-economic challenges if an alternative paradigm is built that inspires, promotes and instills the values of personal leadership and accountability in the minds of the youths.

Otu added that being the driving force for innovation, global development and peace, there was need to develop the youth, as critical partners in national building and such would be achieved through entrepreneurship.

As a strategy to ensure the issue of leadership and entrepreneurship in the country are addressed, he said the Iboro Otu Leadership and Entrepreneurship, which is a non-profit knowledge driven platform developed by ALERT Nigeria, has initiated steps to develop young creative Nigerians.

“ALERT Nigeria is committed to providing opportunities for young Nigerians at the grassroots level to discover themselves, while we will help to groom and support 124 young people yearly from 31 local councils in Akwa Ibom to demonstrate strong leadership and entrepreneurial qualities as community development actors in their communities.

“We also intend to build a strong productive and vibrant knowledge-driven synergy between tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom and leading national and global industry players,” he said.